U.S. wholesale prices rose only slightly in January after three straight declines, the latest sign that inflation is posing no threat. It means the Federal Reserve has room to keep interest rates at record lows without worrying about igniting inflation.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that its producer price index rose 0.2 percent last month, the first increase since September. Gasoline and other energy prices fell, while food prices jumped 0.7 percent after dropping sharply in December.

Markets were subdued Wednesday ahead of a run of U.S. economic news that should provide a clearer steer on the state of the world's largest economy and what further steps the Federal Reserve might take in the months ahead.

The inflation bells are ringing. You've seen the jump in prices at the grocery store, and, maybe more significantly, at the gas pump. But are these price hikes a sign that inflation is about to take off, or are they just temporary increases? Here's what you should know about inflation.

Inflation has inched higher in the past six months, but that's not a danger sign, but rather a harbinger of improving economic conditions and a strengthening recovery. And that, in turn, should lead to higher wages and more hiring in the year ahead.